The present invention is an apparatus and method for temporarily clamping banding material to the face of a panel edge for the purpose of holding said banding material in place for gluing, pinning or otherwise fastening to the surface of said panel edge.
The application of banding materials to panel edges has become commonplace in the furniture industry. Typical uses for such banding applications would be for the perimeter banding of the tops of tables and desks. One of the primary advantages of applying such a banding is that it allows stable yet inexpensive core materials to emulate the appearance of more expensive and desirable hardwood, while keeping the cost relatively low and ultimately providing a more dimensionally stable product.
Veneer and other thin materials are often used for banding the edges of furniture panels. When a shaped, solid edge is desired, it is necessary to apply a more substantial solid material to the edge, which can then be shaped and blended into the veneered top surface.
The processes used for fastening various banding materials include a variety of methods. Veneer and other thin, flexible banding materials are often attached as they are unrolled, by applying heat and pressure to the outer surface. The heat conducts through the surface and melts fast-drying, heat-activated glue on the backside of the material as pressure is simultaneously applied to the surface. Such a process allows for a virtual instantaneous bond, thus negating the need for any post-application pressure.
However, when solid banding material is applied to an edge, heat activation and the resultant instantaneous bonding are not possible. Solid banding material is rigid and typically must be carefully positioned in order to ensure that corner miter joints are lined up. Prior art generally addresses this problem through the application of clamps after the banding is properly positioned. The application of conventional clamps to such an assembly requires careful positioning of the banding material and equally meticulous fitting of the corner miter joints prior to clamping. The physical design of conventional mechanical clamps requires that the banding on the opposite edge be clamped utilizing the same clamp, thus further complicating the alignment task.
Prior art has further addressed the problem by providing mechanical corner clamps that attach the clamp body to the assembly with one or more additional clamping members, thus allowing each clamp to operate independently in each corner of the assembly. This provides a partial solution to the problem but falls short of the objective because it requires the simultaneous activation of multiple clamping members, while holding the banding material in position. The present invention provides a fast-activating pneumatic clamping device that can clamp individual corners, and can do so with the use of one hand, allowing the use of the other hand for positioning the material, thus resulting in a considerable savings in time.
The first object is to provide a clamping means for attaching banding material to the edge of a panel.
A further objective is to provide a clamping means utilizing a minimal number of manual operations.
Still a further object is to provide a clamping means that requires the use of only one hand by the operator of said clamp.
A further object yet is to provide a clamping means that allows material to be repositioned after said clamping means is fastened to a panel.